第六十七章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 67
The Way seems like nothing because it is great; its three treasures are compassion, frugality and not daring to be first.
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天下皆谓我道大,
Everyone in the world says my Way is great,
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似不肖。
yet it seems like nothing at all.
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夫唯大,故似不肖。
It is because it is great that it seems like nothing.
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若肖,久矣其细也夫!
If it resembled something, it would long since have become small!
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我有三宝,持而保之。
I have three treasures, which I hold and keep:
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一曰慈,二曰俭,
the first is compassion, the second is frugality,
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三曰不敢为天下先。
the third is not daring to be first in the world.
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慈故能勇,
With compassion, one can be brave;
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俭故能广,
with frugality, one can be generous;
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不敢为天下先,
not daring to be first in the world,
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故能成器长。
one can become the leader of all.
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今舍慈且勇,舍俭且广,
Now, to give up compassion yet be brave, to give up frugality yet be generous,
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舍后且先,死矣!
to give up being last yet be first: this is death!
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夫慈以战则胜,以守则固。
With compassion, one wins in battle and holds firm in defence.
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天将救之,以慈卫之。
Heaven will save such a one, and guard him with compassion.
Words in this chapter
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 天下 | tiān xià | all under heaven, the world |
| 皆 | jiē | all, everyone |
| 谓 | wèi | to call, to be called |
| 我 | wǒ | I, me |
| 道 | dào | the Way |
| 大 | dà | great, big |
| 似 | sì | seems, as if |
| 不 | bù | not |
| 肖 | xiào | to resemble |
| 夫唯 | fú wéi | precisely because |
| 故 | gù | therefore |
| 若 | ruò | if |
| 久 | jiǔ | lasting, long |
| 矣 | yǐ | final particle (completion) |
| 其 | qí | it, he, they (subject) |
| 细 | xì | minute, small |
| 也 | yě | final particle (assertion) |
| 夫 | fú | final exclamation |
| 有 | yǒu | to have, to possess |
| 三 | sān | three |
| 宝 | bǎo | treasure |
| 持 | chí | to hold |
| 而 | ér | and, and then |
| 保 | bǎo | to keep, preserve |
| 之 | zhī | it, them (object) |
| 一 | yī | one, a single |
| 曰 | yuē | is called, to say |
| 慈 | cí | compassion, kindness |
| 二 | èr | two |
| 俭 | jiǎn | frugality |
| 敢 | gǎn | to dare |
| 为 | wéi | to be, to count as |
| 先 | xiān | before, ahead |
| 能 | néng | can, to be able |
| 勇 | yǒng | brave, bravery |
| 广 | guǎng | broad, ample |
| 成 | chéng | to complete, accomplish |
| 器 | qì | vessel, tool, instrument |
| 长 | zhǎng | to rear, to lead |
| 今 | jīn | now, the present |
| 舍 | shě | to give up |
| 且 | qiě | and also |
| 后 | hòu | back, after |
| 死 | sǐ | to die |
| 夫 | fú | now, indeed (opening particle) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of, with |
| 战 | zhàn | battle, to fight |
| 则 | zé | then |
| 胜 | shèng | to overcome; victory |
| 守 | shǒu | to keep, to guard |
| 固 | gù | firm |
| 天 | tiān | heaven |
| 将 | jiāng | about to; to intend |
| 救 | jiù | to save, to help |
| 卫 | wèi | to guard |
Compare: James Legge (1891)
All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;--(of all which the end is) death.
Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.
Public domain. Source: Wikisource.
Meaning of chapter 67
Chapter 67 is the chapter of the three treasures. It opens with the speaker's Way: everyone says it is great, yet it seems like nothing at all (不肖), and that is because it is great. Were it like some particular thing, it would long since have become small. In chapter 25 too, the Way is called "great" only because a name is forced on it.
Then come the treasures: 慈 (compassion), 俭 (frugality) and not daring to be first in the world. Each makes its apparent opposite possible. Compassion makes one brave, frugality makes one generous, and not daring to be first makes one the leader of all; the word for leader, 器长, is literally "the head of the vessels". To give up compassion and still be brave, frugality and still be generous, being last and still be first: this is death.
The chapter ends with war. Compassion wins in battle and holds firm in defense, and heaven guards with compassion the one it will save. This leads into chapters 68 and 69, both about fighting, and chapter 69 warns against losing "my treasures". Frugality was praised already in chapter 59, under the word 啬.